Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/269

 CHAP. IV. JAUNPUR. 225 or in the neighbourhood, before the Moslim occupation, but they seem to have exhausted the stock, as scarcely any other such are found in the mosques built subsequently. 1 There are three great mosques still standing in the city ; of these the grandest is the Jami' Masjid (Woodcuts Nos. 383, 384), which was commenced by Shah Ibrahim, A.D. 1438, but not completed till the reign of Husain Shah A.D. 1452-1478. It stands on a platform raised from 1 6 to 20 ft. above the ground level and consists of a courtyard 217 ft. 4 in. by 21 1 ft. 6 in., on the western side of which is situated the range of buildings forming the mosque, the central area covered by a dome 39 ft. 8 in. in diameter, in front of which stands a gate pyramid or propylon? of almost Egyptian mass and outline, rising to the height of 86 ft. This gate pyramid by its elevation supplied the place of a minaret, which is a feature as little known at Jaunpur, as it was, at the same age, in the capital city of Delhi. On each side of the dome is a compartment, 44 ft. 7 in. by 25 ft. 4 in., divided into two storeys by a stone floor supported on pillars ; and beyond this, on each side, is an apartment 39 ft. 7 in. by 49 ft. 3 in., covered by a bold pointed vault with ribs, so con- structed that its upper surface forms the external roof of the building, which in Gothic vaults is scarcely ever the case. Each compartment has three mihrabs in the back wall, that is fifteen on the ground floor, with two in each of the upper rooms. The three sides of the courtyard were surrounded by double colonnades, two storeys in height internally, but with three on the exterior, the floor of the courtyard being raised to the height of the lower storey. On each face was a handsome gateway ; the southern one is represented in Woodcut No. 384, which gives a fair idea of the style. The greater part of the eastern side of the court with the entrance on that side and the upper storeys of the other cloisters, are said to have been destroyed by Sultan Sikandar Lodi in his displeasure at the ingratitude of Husain, 1499-1510; though there is also a story of their being taken down at a very much later date. The smallest of the mosques in the city is the Lai Darwaza or Red Gate, which stands to the north-west of the city. 3 It is in the same style as the others ; and its propylon represented in Woodcut No. 385 displays not only the bold massiveness with which these mosques were erected, but shows also that strange admixture of Hindu and Muhammadan architecture 1 A view of this mosque will be found in Kittoe's 'Indian Architecture, 'plate 2, and a plan in Cunningham's ' Archaeo- logical Survey Reports,' vol. xi. plate 31. 2 It is partially seen in Woodcut No. 384 ; but for plans, elevations, sections, and details, see ' Sharqi Archi- tecture of Jaunpur,' pages 52-63, and plates 43-73. 3 Ibid. pp. 43-51, and plates 26-40. VOL. II. P